The invention relates to dye lasers, and more particularly to an improved construction of a dye laser wherein the laser structure and resonator cavity is simple, rugged, stable and efficiently produced.
Dye lasers have typically been comprised of a great number of parts assembled together, including resonator components such as elongated bars, fairly complex adjustable mirror mounts for at least several of the resonator cavity mirrors, and elaborate mechanical arrangements for adjustment of the position and orientation of the dye jet. Construction of such dye lasers has been relatively costly and labor intensive, and there has been a considerable potential for instability of the assembled laser due to the number and complexity of assembled parts.
Dye lasers are useful because they are tunable to a range of different wavelengths. Tuning of a dye laser may be accomplished by tuning elements positioned in the laser resonator cavity. A dye laser may be tunable within a range including, for example, yellow-orange light through deep red.
Cavity length, mirror orientation and position and orientation of the dye jet in a dye laser are critical to optimum performance and maximum beam power.
Dye lasers have been produced with two-mirror cavities and three-mirror folded cavities. The two-mirror cavity is simpler in design, but three-mirror cavities have certain advantages, such as a better ability to compensate for astigmatism.
It is a general object of the present invention to improve the construction, cost efficiency and rugged stability of both two-mirror dye lasers and three-mirror dye lasers, while still allowing for tunability and fine cavity adjustments.